I'm running 2 15" RL-P's, each in [email protected] Don't have a lot of room to work with, so I'm at the minimum box size they recommend.

I'm considering building new boxes out of Baltic Birch to get some weight out of the car and see that I can do [email protected] Would a little extra volume/higher tuning give me more output?

Would I actually be able to hear a 4Hz tuning difference? I'm looking for a little more output, especially more punch when listening to 80's metal/kick drums.

Worth doing the new design or not?? TIA...Mike

azbass

02-12-2007, 06:42 PM

i would run sealed imo if thats what your lookin for.

Rich B

02-12-2007, 06:46 PM

i would run sealed imo if thats what your lookin for.

:iagree:

Higher tuned ported boxes are great for sound off's, but they tend to sound boomy.

Sealed would be your best bet if you want good sound in a smaller enclosure.

baseballer1100

02-12-2007, 06:47 PM

I agree with both of them.

mlstrass

02-12-2007, 07:22 PM

Wouldn't I lose a ton of overall output though?

grassroots

02-12-2007, 07:25 PM

just tune it higher and see how you like it. my old box for a single sx was ported at 37hz and it was awesome for kick drums and rock, still great for most rap too...

PSturmer

02-12-2007, 10:07 PM

get win isd and find out yourself

davidfre21

02-12-2007, 10:17 PM

pretty much all the boxes i build are tuned 35-37hz, and never have any issues with subs not playing low or anything. Try 37hz, if ur goin through the trouble might as well make it worth it.

mlstrass

02-12-2007, 10:47 PM

get win isd and find out yourself

I'm looking for "real world" examples from guys who have built boxes tuned a little higher for daily, to see what they experienced compared to a lower tuned box.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to work up a 36Hz box and see how it looks.

kickerlivinloud

02-12-2007, 11:10 PM

With my last setup, I ran both low and high tuned boxes. My first box was [email protected] I had a 8W7 getting around 700w from a IA 20.1. It pounded out the lows real nice for only being an 8. I however was not happy with the output, so I built a box [email protected] It was considerble louder and still sounded very good. I did lose a lot of low end however. I personally loved the output it had so I didn't worry much about not having a lot of low end. I also have runed a IA LI 12" in a [email protected] and [email protected] I had the same result as with the W7. Killer lows but lacking in output and then massive output but no low end. I currently have my new setup tuned at 36, and it is a low end moster!!!!! It is also very loud, I can not crank it and sit in the vehicle anymore.

Hope this helps you a little..

Jon

Lakota

02-13-2007, 12:13 AM

My box tuned to approx. 35 will still play the low notes on songs like Soul Survivor.

vgeek

02-13-2007, 12:18 AM

I went from 30hz to 38hz and I can tell a huge difference, lower notes don't have the authority that they did when it was tuned lower. It may help you meter higher tuning high, but you may not like the sound.

bgdre12

02-13-2007, 12:43 AM

ye....that's liek me..my box now is tuned to 32hz...i just love my low bass, i'm not much of a fan of higher/mid bass...but at times on certain songs it does kinda get to ya

mlstrass

02-13-2007, 01:16 AM

Thanks for all the responses.

What do you guys consider low bass? Mostly like modern rap stuff that just shakes the car, but has no punch to it? I usually listen to 80's metal, so not sure if the kick drums are considered low bass. Also old school stuff like Run DMC which again doesn't "seem" to hit the lows like the modern stuff.

Sounds like I might not miss out on much tuning higher, going by my choice of music.

bk12321

02-13-2007, 01:23 AM

Thanks for all the responses.

What do you guys consider low bass? Mostly like modern rap stuff that just shakes the car, but has no punch to it? I usually listen to 80's metal, so not sure if the kick drums are considered low bass. Also old school stuff like Run DMC which again doesn't "seem" to hit the lows like the modern stuff.

Sounds like I might not miss out on much tuning higher, going by my choice of music.

i was told by someone pretty experienced, that if i wasnt satisfied with double bass / rock style music, considering im tuned at 30 hz, I shoudl tune possibly as high as 40-42. It will considerably lessen the peak at low end, but in rock you dont have those really low huge hitting notes like u do in rap. I think on my next box I will tune at at LEAST 35 hz, if not higher like 38 or 40. Im a huge eagles/zeppelin/hendrix/earth wind and fire fan and I also am really into hardcore and rock, and I am not really satisfied with the bass response in those songs. In rap my sub kicks my *** though.

mlstrass

02-13-2007, 12:41 PM

One more question: what effect will a bigger box have on a higher tune? Meaning I'm at 2.5^3 @30Hz right now and am going to tune to 35-36Hz, but I can also up the box size to 3^3.

Will that make the box less peaky with the higher tune? Still trying to understand the relationship between box size/tune and how it effects sound/output.

Is there a good article that someone can link explaining the relationship between various box sizes and tuning frequencies??

JimJ

02-13-2007, 12:45 PM

that if i wasnt satisfied with double bass / rock style music, considering im tuned at 30 hz, I shoudl tune possibly as high as 40-42.

Stop listening to whoever told you that.

If you're into that kind of music (which sounds like the same groups/genres I listen to) you don't want a peaky response, which is exactly what tuning that high will get you. Go sealed, with a Qtc on the high side (0.8'ish would be a good place to start).

Justintoxicated

02-13-2007, 06:43 PM

I have a box tuned at 40 HTZ in my truck, it sounds alright but the lows are lacking a bit, Drum beats are hard but I'm chaning back to Sealed.

Don't forget you might tune to 42 Htz, put it in the vehicle and it's really tuned closer to 37, or maybe 45. I believe ported boxes will sound alot different depending on what vehicle they are put in and where in the vehicle they are located. My box uses the space between the port and rear door as a Loading Area, which I guess in turn lowers the tuned frequency (is this sort of like increasing the port length?).

JimJ

02-13-2007, 06:46 PM

I have a box tuned at 40 HTZ in my truck, it sounds alright but the lows are lacking a bit, Drum beats are hard but I'm chaning back to Sealed.

Don't forget you might tune to 42 Htz, put it in the vehicle and it's really tuned closer to 37, or maybe 45. I believe ported boxes will sound alot different depending on what vehicle they are put in and where in the vehicle they are located. My box uses the space between the port and rear door as a Loading Area, which I guess in turn lowers the tuned frequency (is this sort of like increasing the port length?).

The enclosure is tuned to whatever it's tuned to - the environment won't change that. What does change is how it interacts with the vehicle to produce the final frequency response that you hear...:)

Which is also why using computer modeling to predict in-car results is silly and inaccurate.

mlstrass

02-13-2007, 06:58 PM

Which is also why using computer modeling to predict in-car results is silly and inaccurate.

Which is why I'm trying to get some real world results from guys who've tried the same sub(s) at a low tuning, then a higher one.

Will a bigger box help a higher tuning to stay relatively flat and still have some lows to it?

systembumping

02-13-2007, 07:02 PM

So what is the "sweet spot" for tuning, like good low-end and still loud? (No thread jack)

helotaxi

02-14-2007, 12:31 PM

What tuning works depends entirely on the sub. No generic answer such as "tune to 28hz for SQ" has any sort of merit. What constitutes "high" or "low" tuning is relative to the sub.

For each driver there is an "optimal" tuning that will result in the flatest response outside the car. Figure in the car interaction (which can be measured if you really care) and you typically have an emphasized lower end compared to a sealed box. This isnt necessarily bad as the ear is less sensitive to lower freqs anyway. If you don't listen to music that makes use of the lower freqs then the extra bottom end isn't needed. Now take the same sub and same volume box and tune it higher (even 4 Hz) and you will get less low end extension and will get a hump in the response right round the tuning freq. Add in the car interaction and you get that range of frequencies very much exagerated. That hump is what defines what many people call an SQL enclosure. Make the box bigger from there and that hump becomes more exagerated. The extreme result is a really narrow really loud peak and an SPL enclosure. The sub is usually nowhere near under control at other than at that freq and does nothing but play that one note really loud.

To suit your needs, a sealed box with a Q between .8 and .9 will yield very good in-car results. The natural roll off of the box below resonance couples very well with the cabin gain from the car and makes for a smooth response. There will be a small, broad hump right around resonance which usually falls right in line with the freq of the fundamental of a kick drum and is not overbearing. The sound is better than that of a mistuned ported box and in the upper bass range, you will actually gain some output over a ported box.

lebomb

02-14-2007, 12:39 PM

I have my sub in a box tuned to 38Hz......it drops suprising low and is loud as hell.

acold7dusta

02-14-2007, 01:00 PM

What tuning works depends entirely on the sub. No generic answer such as "tune to 28hz for SQ" has any sort of merit. What constitutes "high" or "low" tuning is relative to the sub.

:word: i had my diamond d6 in a 1.25 box tuned to 35, and it was a one note wonder...did some graphing, and found tuning to 23 hz was the flattest response, and gave me better low end and better upper mid bass too. strictly depends on the sub...

helotaxi

02-14-2007, 01:50 PM

As another example, my Assassin 8s want a tuning in the high 30's / low 40's to play flat. Go lower than that an you strangle them for output.